Tag Archives: maasai mara

The Maasai Mara and Serengeti form a cross-border eco-system that supports millions of animals and is the scene for the Great Wildebeest Migration. In January, OTA is leading a tour to these parks as well as Lake Naivasha, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Natron, giving guests the opportunity to experience a variety of landscapes throughout their safari.

Spectacular wildlife in Maasai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater is the biggest draw-card of this safari, but the stunning birding in Lakes Naivasha and Natron is not to be dismissed. Throughout the safari, we will travel through several different environments, each providing incredible scenery. Guests will also have the opportunity to visit a traditional Maasai village. Travelling in a comfortable safari vehicle fit for photography, game-viewing and touring and accompanied by an experienced driver-guide, on this trip you will stay in three-star tented camps and lodges.

Francis Wamai, Founder and Director of OTA, says: “Lake Naivasha is the biggest of the Rift Valley lakes and Lake Natron has an alga that makes it look red; both are home to millions of flamingos. Maasai Mara is famous for the Great Wildebeest Migration that arrives in July and returns to Serengeti in November – that’s where you’ll see the herds on this trip. Ngorongoro Crater is the caldera of an extinct volcano and local people believe it is the Garden of Eden, especially as nearby Oldepai Gorge is where some of the earliest human remains have been found.”

OTA’s 13-day Wildlife Wonder Tour is designed for those looking for an exceptional and unique safari experience. The tour cost is US$3460 per person inclusive of all meals, accommodation, entry fees to Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Natron, and an English-speaking driver-guide. There are limited seats available so contact tracey@ota-responsibletravel.com today to reserve yours.

In January, Jasmin and Josh became our first ever AirBnB guests. Jasmin had been studying on exchange here in Kenya and her boyfriend Josh came to visit her at the end of semester so they could travel together. After a week in Kenya, Jasmin’s brother Fabio also joined them and Jasmin and Fabio decided they wanted to go the Maasai Mara after Josh returned home.

We were able to find them two other travel buddies from Argentina so the four of them set off from Nairobi early one morning for a three day trip to Kenya’s top tourist destination. They stayed at Mara Explorers and headed into the park almost immediately. They spend the afternoon and all the next day in the game park watching wildlife. Some of the group also went in for a final game drive on the last morning before returning to Nairobi. That was the best game drive, because that was the time they saw lions on a hunt!

Jasmin and Fabio came back and stayed a few more nights in our spare room before they went home, saying goodbye to the friends Jasmin had made during her semester here. It was a pleasure to host Jasmin, Josh and Fabio both in our home and on safari and we hope they will return to Kenya again someday!

Jasmin left us a lovely review on Trip Advisor: “Absolutely relaxed and responsible safari!”

Me and my brother made a safari to Masaai Mara. We already knew Francis and Tracey because we’ve spent some nights at their place in Rongai. They are really nice and helpful people and we had an amazing time with them. The safari to the Mara was one of the highlights of our time in Kenya.

I think Francis is a really good driver and I felt so relaxed in his car. This is important because it is quite a distance to the Mara park from Nairobi. Also in the park we felt that he really knows the area and that he exactly knew when he can drive through a waterhole (this time there were a lot of them) – we never got stuck. He also drove respectfully when animals were around, what I appreciated a lot. He really asked what we wanted and did not just stop at any souvenir shop like I knew it from other safari organizations (and I think can be a bit annoying). Finally, the place where we went for the two nights was also a great spot (The Mara explorer’s camps).

I totally recommend to travel with OTA because it is a small, really personal safari organization of such a nice couple with experience and knowledge.

Skumfidus has to be one of the coolest words ever! I learnt that it’s the Danish word for “marshmallow” when we took the Finke family on safari at the end of December. Hanne, Jacob and their three children have recently moved to Nairobi for Jacob’s job and Hanne’s parents, sisters and their children came to visit for Christmas. Hanne contacted us to help plan a safari that would suit 14 people over three generations and here’s their story to give you ideas for your own family holiday.

Maasai Mara Safari

On December 28, six adults and eight children arrived at Mara Explorers Camp in time for lunch. It had been a long drive and everyone was ready for some food and to stretch their legs. After lunch there was the option to go for a walk with the Maasai to explore the area which some of the group did. The rest found their tents, sleeping bags, luggage and a pool table and settled in.

The next day everyone spent all day game driving in the park. We had prepared a scavenger hunt for the children with a lucky dip prize if they spotted everything on the list. When they returned in the evening everyone of course got a prize and they had all written a bonus item on the bottom of the page: a cheetah! We celebrated a successful day of wildlife watching by toasting marshmallows on the campfire. That’s when I learnt the Danish word for marshmallow: skumfidus.

Seeking shade for picnic lunch in the Maasai Mara

Elephant, Maasai Mara

Game driving in the Maasai Mara

Grandma and Grandpa went for a hot air balloon flight early the next morning. Watching the sunrise over the savannah is one of the most magical experiences you can have in Kenya.

Maasai Culture

When they returned, we headed for Maji Moto Maasai Cultural Camp. The wildlife in the Maasai Mara had been pretty amazing, but Maji Moto was the highlight of this trip. On arrival our Maasai hosts gave us shukas (the blankets Maasai wear) and performed a welcome dance. The Maasai are famous for jumping as part of their dance and of course audience participation is a must. Afterwards, we were shown to our “huts”. The accommodation at Maji Moto is Maasai-style mud huts, which are very comfortable and attractive.

Maasai dancing

Once we lost the heat of the sun we went for a walk to the hot springs where women from the area collect water. Some of our guests tried carrying the jerry cans and were full of admiration for the women who carry them several kilometres every day. Next we walked up a rocky outcrop to watch the sun set.

“Maji Moto” means “hot water” for the hot springs

In the morning, the family went for a walk up the nearby hill and then visited the widows’ village. When a Maasai man passes away he leaves multiple wives with no financial means. The Maasai Cultural Camp supports the widows with some of the profits from the visitors going to the women. When guests visit the widows’ village they can see traditional Maasai life and visit the traditional healer. Along the way the Maasai guys made the children spears and practiced throwing them. For the rest of the trip, the spears came everywhere… we had to break the news to the kids that they probably wouldn’t be allowed to take them on the plane home.

Visiting the Widows’ Village

Warrior training at Maji Moto

But the afternoon was to bring the absolute highlight of the whole five days. We hiked four kilometres to the Ol Pul Bush Camp. When we arrived at the clearing we found large beds made from leaves and a white goat tethered near the bushes. We knew we were to be roasting a goat for dinner, but I hadn’t really thought though the whole process. The kids were totally into it, except for Mathilde who I hung out with while her brother came and terrorised us with the goat’s head and other gross stuff boys do! They all helped with the skinning and the butchering and even drank the blood straight from the neck!

Ceremonial goat killing

Drinking the blood

It was a long day!

The elder Maasai gave Grandpa a blessing for his birthday. Traditional brew was served to the adults – it’s made from honeycomb and Francis’ drink even had a bee in it, just to prove the point I guess. And then the Maasai and the Danes sang their respective traditional songs for New Year and danced while the meat roasted on the biggest campfire ever. Being New Years Eve, sparklers were compulsory and Karen distributed them to everyone. As we held them to the fire they started sparkling, as they do. But the Maasai had never experienced sparklers and got quite a start when they started sparkling!

New Years Eve around the fire

Sleeping under the stars

It really was a unique way to bring in the New Year and to celebrate a special birthday. And it was wonderful for the cousins to have the opportunity to have such an experience together when they have been missing playing together since Hanne and Jacob relocated to Kenya.

Are you looking for a special safari for your family? Whether you are living in Kenya and have relatives visiting or you are all living in the same town but looking for a chance to reconnect, we would love to help you plan a holiday to remember. Contact us today by emailing tracey@ota-responsibletravel.com.

Going on safari in Kenya for the first time as a family group of 14 aged between 5 and 72 years makes for a challenge in organising. Tracey at OTA immediately made us feel safe by listening, suggesting, thinking along with us and very quickly providing an itinerary that made it a lot easier to grasp what an adventure it would be – even within our limited budget!
We had 2 amazing days in the Maasai Mara – camping in a really nice little campground and with delicious camper-food cooked and served by Tracey. The kids enjoyed the space to play, sit by the fire and run around when we were not stuck in the car watching amazing sceneries and wild animals in the Mara.
Afterwards 2 amazing days with Maasai in Maji Moto – warrior training, community projects, widow village, herbal medicine, bonfire without paper and matches, ceremonial goat killing, singing, dancing, sleeping under the stars in the bush etc. We learned SO much about the culture and young as well as old had the best of times.
THANK you OTA for finding these pearls for us in the jungle of lodges and camps in Kenya.

It’s true, not every safari runs perfectly – gasp! We rely on machines (i.e. vehicles) and they are just as fallible as humans – another gasp! In August we had a trip that could have gone a bit smoother. And, as I take a deep breath to calm my nerves about sharing a less than perfect safari with the big wide world, I hope that it will help you with your own expectations of travelling in Africa.

Africa is unpredictable. We tell our guests this about 37 times in our pre-trip documentation as they prepare for their tour. The roads are bad, the police are disruptive, weather patterns are changing, and of course it’s called a “game drive” for good reason – either you win the game or the animals do, depending on who spots who first! But as the safari operator, we don’t actually want to believe that we can’t predict (and prevent) what will happen. Of course contingencies are in place to minimise the impact of any unpredictability on the guest. But it still pains us to have to use those contingencies.

We hosted a large family group of nine in August: two parents, four sons and three wives. They wanted to travel all together in one vehicle so we decided the best vehicle for them was a small overland truck. The itinerary was five days – three in Maasai Mara and two in Amboseli. It had been planned for several months and everyone was excited.

Arriving in Kenya

The first hitch came on arrival. The people arrived but the luggage didn’t. Not a single piece of luggage from the whole group was in Nairobi when they landed. I’m still not sure how that could happen, but it did. The luggage was to arrive on the same flight the next day and so they requested a later departure to Maasai Mara. We were to leave at 8am but by the time they returned to the airport and retrieved the luggage, it was 4pm! And in a truck it’s a long, slow drive anywhere, let alone the bumpy road down to the Mara.

The late departure meant that we were driving at night, which is something we never want to do, especially through the bush. We finally arrived at midnight and the camp staff were so wonderful! We had kept in communication with them throughout the evening and they kept dinner for us and served it very graciously at that hour. Lesson learnt though: next time we won’t depart for Maasai Mara so late and instead leave very early the next day.

Safari Begins

The next day our morning game drive didn’t start very early as everyone was tired from the previous night. But Francis took them off around 8am and they spotted lions almost immediately. A truck gives you more height and they got a great sighting of the pride in the grass. Shortly after that though, the truck stopped. And nothing Francis did would move it. Again the camp staff were amazing and supplied a vehicle so our guests could continue with their game drive. Then they supplied another emergency vehicle to tow the truck out of the park.

Francis pulled the engine apart at the camp and discovered the piston had, as he described it, “turned into githeri” (a traditional Kenyan dish of stewed beans and maize, i.e. small round pieces in a bowl). The trouble with engines is that, even if you regularly service them, there are things inside that you can’t see and that will fall apart with enough bumping along on these fabulous Kenyan roads. (I recently discovered in Australia that bushes are something that are replaced every twenty years or so. In Kenya we replace them after almost every trip down to the Maasai Mara!)

So that was the end of the truck for this trip. We organised a replacement vehicle to get the group back to Nairobi the following day. The itinerary continued for the guests as planned, fortunately. The only issue was that there was now no space for Francis and I in this back-up vehicle. We tried to hitch a ride on the road nearest the camp, but it’s a quiet road so we didn’t have much luck. So we got a motorbike taxi (boda boda) across the savannah (outside the park!) to the main gate of Maasai Mara where we would find more traffic. I have to admit that the motorbike ride has been a highlight of my time in Kenya! We have driven that route before, but on a motorbike it was something else! Beautiful scenery, through Maasai villages, across rivers, wow it was stunning!

Somehow we arrived in Nairobi before the guests, despite our waiting for a lift, and then getting public transport in Nairobi to their accommodation. But they had a much more leisurely trip, stopping at the Rift Valley lookout, visiting a Maasai village and having lunch en route. Nevertheless, they were as surprised to see us waiting for them as we were. We made the arrangements for Amboseli the next day and called it a night.

Amboseli

Thank goodness the second half of the trip went smoothly! We had to split them into two smaller vehicles and they switched up their seating arrangements for the two days to spend time with everyone. They saw hyenas, elephants, a large herd of buffalo in the swamp, saddle-billed stork, zebras, a big flock of ostriches, and of course Mt Kilimanjaro. They also climbed up lookout hill for sweeping views over the park.

All’s well that ends well and there really was minimal disruption to the safari for the guests. It was just my own mortification that got in the way of me enjoying myself. But Francis always tells me soberly that “Anything can happen” and he is right. Perhaps we will add that to “Africa is unpredictable” in the trip preparation documents.

Please share your experiences of travel that hasn’t gone exactly to plan – help me realise that not only can anything happen, but anything can happen to anyone!

Darcy is very lucky. She has college friends scattered throughout the globe, making vacations with her two teenagers both affordable and exciting. For the summer of 2015, Darcy decided to visit her friend who was on assignment in Kenya. The friend contacted us first (expatriates are understandably protective of their visitors) and on passing the screening test we started planning with Darcy for the big adventure.

She had nine days for safari and, as with most family groups, the budget wasn’t excessive. We agreed on a camping trip to keep the price down, with accommodation at her friend’s house for the nights in Nairobi. The itinerary covered Amboseli National Park, Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, Lake Naivasha and finished with white-water rafting on the Tana River.

Wildlife Escapades in Amboseli

Amboseli was the first stop of their safari and the campsite unfortunately isn’t the best in Kenya, so it was a bit of a leap off the deep end into the Kenyan bush and camping scene. But waking up at dawn and peering out the tent to a crystal clear view of Mt Kilimanjaro somewhat makes up for the lower comfort levels. On their game drive they saw ostriches, crowned cranes, a Goliath heron and hippos. But the highlight must surely be the baby elephants playing in the mud. They jostled for position, but once lying down in the bath they were not moving for their friends!

Meanwhile, back at camp, I was fighting baboons. The biggest baboon in Kenya (I’m sure!) came to check out the food boxes that we had thought were secure enough. As he sauntered by on all fours, he looked to be about the size of a lion. The secure boxes were nothing for him. He crushed the lid of the balsamic vinegar, but must not have liked the taste. He emptied the coffee tin, also probably not to his taste. Finally he took off with the five-pack of 2-minute noodles – there is definitely no accounting for taste! The Maasai who work at the camp heard my girly screams and came to assist, but a bit too late. The baboon disappeared, but dropped noodles as he left which the Maasai rescued for me. After that, we put the food boxes in their lockable, baboon-proof shed. However, it seemed it wasn’t only the baboons I had to watch for; the cook’s assistant didn’t realise some food was ours and nearly got my cabbage (I caught it just in time!).

Safari in Maasai Mara

We returned to Nairobi for the night before heading to the Maasai Mara. The road was especially rough down to the Mara and poor Darcy was a little green when we finally arrived. In the afternoon they went for a walk up to the escarpment with the local Maasai for a stunning view over the game reserve.

Darcy, Faye and Kelton spent a full day in the park with Francis, enjoying a picnic lunch in the savannah. They saw elephants, hartebeest, buffalo, giraffe, and the most amazing leopard sighting ever. It was sitting up in a sausage tree, but as they watched, the leopard descended the tree giving a clear view of this magnificent and most elusive creature. They had already seen another leopard earlier in the morning sitting in a leafy tree, so they were already having an above average game drive, but this was a big cherry on top.

Kenya’s Rift Valley Lakes

Next stop was Kembu Camp for pizza night! There was a large group from one of Nairobi’s international schools there as well, but Faye and Kelton were a bit shy to interact, preferring to stay cosy around the open fire with Darcy, Francis and I (which I can definitely understand, as it gets pretty cold there). The pizza oven and open fire are not the only reasons we were at Kembu though; it is also convenient for reaching Lake Nakuru National Park, which we did the next day. Buffalos wallowing in the mud, elands covered in oxpeckers (birds who feast on the ticks that dwell in the fur of most of Africa’s wildlife), giraffes, baboons and zebras were the highlights of the day. They got all the way down to Makalia Falls at the south end of the park.

That evening we arrived at Fish Eagle Inn on the shore of Lake Naivasha in the pouring rain. The appeal of pitching tents in the downpour was not high and so they opted to upgrade to a room. Cycling in Hells Gate National Park had been earmarked in the planning stages as something they definitely wanted to do and so that was the plan for the following day. It is certainly a highlight of many a Kenyan safari!

The bicycles were selected and they rode the 2km on to the gate while we drove ahead to sort out the entry fees. Unfortunately, when they got to the gate, Kelton was very unwell and continuing for a full day’s cycle was not going to be pleasant. So we changed it to a drive in the park with a few stops along the way. First we stopped at Fisher’s Tower, where Faye and Darcy tried their hand at rock-climbing. Darcy made it all the way to the top! We continued all the way to the gorge where the family went for a walk with the ranger through the gorge. Francis and I found a checkers board with plastic bottle lids for checkers on one of the picnic tables. Luckily Kelton returned in time to save me from embarrassment as he took my place against Francis.

The white-water rafting was to be the last activity before returning to Nairobi. But it wasn’t to be. Kelton wasn’t getting any better and rafting was the last thing he felt he could do. It was a shame because it had been him that had been the most excited about it in the lead up. So instead we went back early so he could get to a doctor. They still had a trip to the coast organised and it was generally agreed that it would be way better for him to be able to enjoy his time there, rather than jeopardise it further with a rafting excursion.

All ended well and they had a wonderful time at the beach! It was great travelling with Darcy, Faye and Kelton and we do hope they will return someday.

Waaaaaay back in May 2014, I sat in Sheila’s lounge room with Sheila and Christine to talk about an African adventure. They had travelled to South America a few years before and wanted to make the most of their Yellow Fever vaccination, so Africa was the logical next step for them.

Of course they had to come to Kenya, as that is where our little tour company is based and it’s the place for the best safaris in the world (I’m not biased!). They also wanted to visit Botswana, being fans of the The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, and Victoria Falls. They had three weeks to experience the best of the African continent and so we set to work planning an itinerary.

There were a couple of challenges. First of all, Kenya has so much and we wanted to show them all of it, but we had to narrow the safari down to just a week. Secondly was finding an affordable way to travel in Botswana. Botswana caters to the high-end luxury traveller, and lodges are typically US$400+ per person per night. For your average retired teacher, this is not affordable. The alternative is a mobile camping safari and our intrepid ladies agreed.

Eighteen months later Sheila and Christine landed at Nairobi’s airport, looking quite fresh after the 22-hour flight. We headed straight to the accommodation for a quick shower and then went to the mall to take care of some essentials – changing money, buying things that had been left behind and having a cold Kenyan beer as we discussed the week ahead.

Safari Begins

Our first destination was the Maasai Mara. The wildebeest migration was in town, and Sheila and Christine could be forgiven for never wanting to see another wildebeest ever again! But do you think we could find an elephant? The night before, a herd of about 15 elephants had crashed through our camp, but there was not a trace of them or their friends until 5pm when I glimpsed a big grey face in the bushes. Elephants do not like all the noise of millions of wildebeest and tend to disappear until the rowdy tourists have gone back to Serengeti (kind of like Philip Island residents on Grand Prix weekend!). On our ellie hunt though, we were lucky to find five lions – two males and three females – supervising a herd of buffalo. No one else had found this group, and so we got to enjoy the sighting all alone. Magical!

Lake Naivasha

From the Maasai Mara we went to Lake Naivasha for two nights. The next day started with a walking safari in Wileli Conservancy where we got excited spotting many different birds (see the list below) and getting close to some giraffes who were necking. Necking isn’t as romantic as it sounds; it’s actually the term for how giraffes fight. From a distance they look quite graceful and almost gentle as they swing their necks against one another. But once we got close, we could hear the thumps as they crashed together. They can cause serious injury or even death as they fight for supremacy of the herd.

We had a very lovely lunch at Sanctuary Farm and then went for a boat ride around part of the shore of Lake Naivasha. We requested our captain keep us a safe distance from the hippos, and despite his respect of the request, I was still very nervous – I don’t think I should do any more boat trips in hippo-infested waters as I suspect my nerves make everyone else a bit edgier. But they are really big!

Samburu Safari

Our final destination in Kenya was Samburu. This is where Sheila and Christine got a bit of a taste of what was to come on their camping safari in Botswana, as we stayed in tents inside the park. Camping in the park is such a great experience, even if you think you aren’t the camping type, it’s worth trying just once. Samburu gets really hot in the middle of the day and all the animals retire to the shade, making game driving at that time a little boring. Fortunately there’s a lodge near the campsite with a pool that one can use for a small fee. While Sheila and Christine cooled off, Francis and I ducked out to Umoja Primary School. Last year, Bev had spent a day teaching at the school and later sent some money that her students in Australia had raised. We used that money to buy hoops and footballs for the school and at last we had the opportunity to deliver them. The students remembered Bev and I heard murmurs about rockets (one of the activities Bev had done with them) as they gathered to receive the gifts.

As we headed back to Nairobi, there was one last stop to make: Kiota Children’s Home. At our fundraising event in Melbourne earlier this year, Sheila had signed up to sponsor a Kenyan student. Being in Kenya now, it only made sense for her and the student to meet. Ndunda is a very shy young boy, but he graciously received the stationery that Sheila and Christine had brought for all the children at the home. He then showed us around the home, pointing out the place where he kept his school bag and shoes, his homework, his bed, and common areas where they hang out. We also met Samuel and Simon who are also sponsored by people who came to our Melbourne event.

I can’t write too much more about Sheila and Christine’s adventure, as they flew out of Nairobi the next day and left us behind. They went to the mighty Victoria Falls for a few nights before heading to Botswana. They had a night in the Chobe Safari Lodge where they did a boat cruise on the Chobe River. That’s an amazing cruise as the animals come down to the water to drink in the evening. Chobe has the highest population of elephants in Africa – it certainly must have made up for the ellies’ absence in Maasai Mara!

Then they joined their camping safari, travelling to Savute, Moremi Game Reserve and the Okavango Delta. It was surely an adventure, and I hope that they have written about it somewhere so we can hear all about it!

Easter holidays, Eid, May Day, Kenyatta Day – there are plenty of long weekends throughout the year and if you live in Nairobi you might be wondering how to spend a four-day weekend. This article will give you four ideas of how to spend a long weekend and explore Kenya beyond Nairobi’s city limits.

1. Lumo and Amboseli

Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary lies adjacent to Tsavo West National Park and offers stunning sunset views of Mt Kilimanjaro. It’s about a seven-hour drive from Nairobi so you can arrive in time for a late afternoon game drive on your way to your accommodation. The next day, spend the full day searching for leopards around the rocky outcrops and wonder at the red elephants that inhabit the sanctuary. The shy Lesser Kudu is prevalent and many birds can be seen. Depart early the following morning for Amboseli National Park where you can again enjoy a late afternoon game drive to your accommodation in the middle of the park. Wake up to sunrise views of Mt Kilimanjaro as you head out for a morning game drive before making your way back to Nairobi. Alternatively you could swap Lumo for Tsavo West.

2. Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru

Depart Nairobi early for the famous Maasai Mara, where you can go for an afternoon game drive after lunch. Spend the whole next day game driving including a visit to the hippo pool and seeking out the lions that became famous through the BBC’s Big Cat Diary. There are opportunities to go for a hot air balloon flight at dawn, visit a Maasai village or walk with the Maasai up to the escarpment for stunning views over the reserve. On the third day drive to Lake Nakuru National Park, where you can find accommodation inside the park. Evening and morning game drives provide opportunities to see rhinos and Rothschild giraffes before returning to Nairobi. This itinerary could be just as enjoyable going to Nakuru first and then to Maasai Mara.

3. Lake Naivasha and Maasai MaraIt’s a short two-hour drive to Lake Naivasha leaving you most of the day to enjoy the activities available there. You might want to cycle through Hell’s Gate National Park, hike up Mt Longonot or take a boat ride on the lake. Early the next morning you might opt to go for a walking safari at Green Crater Lake or Wileli Conservancy before heading to the Maasai Mara. An afternoon game drive can be enjoyed, followed by a full day in the park the next day. Before heading back to Nairobi on the last day, there is time for a final morning game drive and perhaps a visit to the neighbouring Maasai village. Again, this itinerary could be done in reverse – heading to Maasai Mara for two nights first and then enjoying the final night at Lake Naivasha and doing the activities on the day you return to Nairobi.

4. Lake Magadi

If you are interested in heading off the beaten track a bit and not spending so many hours driving from place to place, Lake Magadi and the surrounding area offer a different experience. This is also a fantastic trip to see the migratory birds that visit Kenya at this time of year. On the way you can hike Ngong Hills, stop at Olepolos for lunch and then stay at the Olorgesailie Pre-Historic Site for the first night. The next day continue to Magadi town and into the Lake Magadi Conservation Area where you set up camp for the second night. The hot springs are very hot if you are brave enough for a swim, otherwise you can take a walk, do some bird watching or just chill out. From Lake Magadi head to the cooler Nguruman Escarpment where you can camp not far from the town at a campsite in the wildlife corridor between Maasai Mara and Amboseli. In the morning go for a walk with the camp staff to see the wildlife and birds of the area before driving back to Nairobi.

On the first three trips, there are options to stay in lodges or to camp, while the Lake Magadi trip is camping only. You are welcome to contact OTA to discuss your weekend plans further.

Overland Travel Adventures provides private tailored safaris dedicated to the philosophies of responsible travel. We engage with communities through East Africa by visiting local NGOs and supporting their projects either with hands-on assistance or monetary donations. A holiday with OTA will give you the opportunity to interact with local people as well as visit the spectacular game parks East Africa is famous for.